Lets start…

This blog represents my ‘other’ interest. When I don’t have my head in a song I spend too much of my time reading and thinking about the ever changing crossroads of art, tech, intellectual property and the digital domain. I’m interested in the overriding principals and concepts of how art will function in the new information age, but also looking at practical applications for those who create and control intellectual property.

Many of you will have seen this. The intersection of art, technology and physics. Gravity at work in a program and in a small way, a new element brought into the artistic process. So many things we haven’t thought of yet. (the music doesn’t hurt)

Posted in by David Usher on March 22, 2008 at 6:37 pm

17 Comments »

Comment From Leigh-Anne — March 28, 2008 @ 12:17 am

Hi David - it is a strange kind of irony that the link didn’t work for me at first…

I think it is very interesting to see just where we are collectively headed with regards to technology, art, intellectual property and the digital domain (as you so aptly put it). It is interesting what and how we have put value on art (the commodity) in all its forms, and how that relates to artistic expression. Of course the most interesting is the kind of direct impact that technology has professional artists and musicians (and the industry as a whole too of course).

I look forward to reading more of your thoughts on this topic. It is definitely worth exploring in detail - given the frantic use of the internet as an example and the tour de force of viral marketing that can shape the success of a album release months prior to the release. It pulls into question as well, where the line is drawn now to define an artist and the average person.

There are many examples of how the tools - the programs that now give artists the opportunity to push limits never attainable before … when I can make the link work above I am sure that I will agree with your choice of it. The fact that something as a simple as a tablet that can translate your hand strokes into digital painting/ drawing - and extends to the possibility of creating an entirely virtually based music form.. it is absolutely endless what can emerge!

We are at a crossroads - exactly so.

Leigh-Anne

Comment From Laura MacCormack — March 28, 2008 @ 12:49 am

I like the idea behind this new blog… technology is truly changing art… my sister used to paint abstract art and now she does animations on you tube… it is amazing… you tube is such an amazing avenue for art! I think there are many ways of embracing technology and making it work together with the artists. Musicians like yourself are doing a great job at embracing technology and it seems to bring your fans closer and therefore they are more dedicated. This is also true with HANSON… they have gone independent and embraced technology - using the internet to connect with their fans on another level… this needs to happen to keep music alive…

Comment From Sabrina — March 28, 2008 @ 12:49 am

Ive already seen this, but hey, its so cool. Technologies goes so far now…!! im afraid but at the same time, im excited. Can’t wait to drive my flying car!! ;)

Comment From linda fritz Schroeder — March 28, 2008 @ 1:23 am

Thats is so awesome and relaxing to watch!!

Comment From Khrys — March 28, 2008 @ 1:37 am

Hey David,
That is just amazing. I’m an Early Childhood Educator and I would mind to have this “game” for my little students. They would love that. They can experience the concept of effect and consequence. It is a very good idea. Thanks for sharing!
Khrys

Comment From JulieD — March 28, 2008 @ 1:46 am

Hello David,

First, I want to say that I very much like reading you and that I love your music.

It is very strange…I think that you’re my favorite artist (all categories) and it seems that we have many interests in common, besides your music.

[I have worked as a programmer in digital image processing for a few years, but now I work in intellectual property (patents) and I consider myself as an artist the rest of the time (mainly photography and painting).]

I have watched the video of the game and it seems very well done.

I will follow this blog and hopefully will be able to post some interesting comments from time to time.

Take care of yourself. xx

Comment From PAscal Cloutier — March 28, 2008 @ 2:11 am

Hi David ,
Vraiment intéressant ce programme ,il peut s’appliquer à diverses tâches ,est-ce possible de faire du 3D également ?

merci et bonne soirée !:)

Comment From Me — March 28, 2008 @ 2:51 am

I really love how you wrote this and you know how I love lovely words, if you don’t well I’m telling you now.

Comment From Michael Bell — March 28, 2008 @ 4:23 am

That is awesome! That looks way fun. I love how physics work and using art makes it even cooler!

Comment From Ricky Mehlau — March 28, 2008 @ 7:43 am

oh! that’s … nice and simple!? you make me fall into another song. —> Does this video mean: patience!?
I am just sad that some people can’t admit they’re makin’ mistakes while learnin’. I can’t stand controlled processes of learning. Life and nature offer so many beautiful possibilities. And you are right: with or without technic………

Comment From Sabrina — March 28, 2008 @ 12:04 pm

Hey, why my first post was erased? it wasn’t bad i think ?

Comment From Michael — March 28, 2008 @ 1:57 pm

Interesting stuff David. I work as a medical librarian at a cancer care facility. At this moment, I am weeding our collection of many volumes of back issues of journals that are rarely used so that we can turn some of the stacks space into an area with computers, of course, for digital access to journals. But also the medical library (which our late CEO now calls the Knowledge Resource Centre, again interesting) is or rather could become more of a social space for communication between people rather than a place for just quiet bookreading as such. So we are looking at putting in, perhaps, more comfortable chairs and that. It’s interesting what is happening but a medical environment is quite conservative so who knows how this will work out here. We’ll see.

Now intellectual property is a huge issue with copyright where I often copy articles from journals for my clientele or deliver a digital copy to them under other circumstances. Copyright law is a bit of a mess right now in Canada. For me, a copy can be made for a patron for private research or study. However that copy cannot be recopied and circulated to other people or put up on an intranet or internet site without permission of the publisher. etc. Then there is the open access journals where the situation is different. Writers, all creators of works, publishers, need to have their works protected to some extent and to receive what they should receive. On the other hand, information also needs some freedom to it once it has been created. A balancing act

I find the idea of information interesting. Data - information - knowledge - wisdom … this transformation of simple bits and bytes to where people think in new ways which can be used to transform society into a more caring and loving society etc. Or into a destructive and hateful society, that can be the bad part. So much here, I guess we could all write and talk about this forever. And the new technologies that are allowing for more transformation and manipulation of information. Social networking. Interesting that where we work many sites are blocked, social networking sites in particular.

One other thing before I leave, information in and of itself has no instrinsic value. It can be used for good and evil purposes. It is what we as humans do with this data and information that is important, transferring and manipulating it into knowledge and wisdom for various purposes. Which is why medical ethics, as an example, is so important. Just because we can do cloning, should we? In what circumstances and for what benefits? Oh man, huge topics. Enough. I know my wife will want me to, sorry love!

The young people today are living in a very dynamic information rich world that I hope they can deal with positively. It can be scary, frightening but also liberating and allow for so much more creativity. Some days I’m very optimistic, other days not so optimistic.

Comment From Elizabeth — March 28, 2008 @ 1:59 pm

My husband showed me that video not too long ago, technology and physics is his life. He’s always showing me all the latest technology, and talks about how the universe has yet to even scratch the surface on what we are capable of doing with technology and physics.

This is a neat blog David….thanks for making it :)

xoxoxoxox

Elizabeth

Comment From Svetlana — March 28, 2008 @ 3:48 pm

Seems, I’m the first! glad that you start this blog, it will be a lot of things to discuss, right? :)

Comment From mhcote — March 29, 2008 @ 6:50 pm

My son help me keeping in touch with the technology. He show me all he the things he can do with is iPod touch. I can play at this game and do much more, my home is wireless and just imagine he can phone me with is iPod touch.

Comment From TheVancouverManifesto — March 29, 2008 @ 9:21 pm

That’s great that you’re getting into the social media scene. Can’t wait to see more fron you!

Comment From yvette — March 31, 2008 @ 2:17 am

My husband recently got a smartboard for his classroom. The kids are mesmerized by the various powerpoint slideshows of interesting trivia he puts up on it. He gets a kick out of how much they are loving learning! We live in an amazing age.

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